Know too much
by Emma zooka
Summary: What if Alex manages to stumble across Jack and her new boyfriend when he comes home from school? Nothing is as it seems, for the boyfriend and for Alex. Surprises lurk at every turn, and it may just lead our favorite spy toward the life he hates, again
1. Chapter 1

"Jack! I'm home!" Alex Rider called out as he dropped his book bag on the floor.

He was greeted with silence, then quiet laughter from another room. Alex frowned.

"Jack?" he said again, instantly wary of whatever was in the room besides him. Suddenly, the door was flung open, and a much disheveled Jack walked out, along with a man that Alex didn't recognize.

"Jackie, I-" the man stopped when he saw Alex standing right in front of him, eyebrows raised.

Since when did Jack let people call her Jackie?

Jack herself hesitated, then immediately recovered when she realized that nobody was speaking. "Ah, Alex, your home." She said quickly. It was easy to hear the embarrassment in her voice.

"This is Nate," she continued, gesturing vaguely at the man besides her. "An old friend of mine from college." She stopped for a second, recomposing herself. "Um…Nate, this is Alex, the kid I was telling you about."

Nate looked at Alex, studying him, while Alex did the same to Nate. They both nodded in greeting, and then continued their silent search of each other.

Alex concluded that Nate was a man in his late twenties, early thirties. His disheveled brown hair was flecked with gold at the tips, suggesting that he had once dyed it blond some time ago. He dressed simply, but wore a gold Rolex watch on his right hand. He stood 6 foot 3, easily towering over both Alex and Jack.

Alex himself took an immediate dislike to him, though he couldn't consciously say why.

Nate, on the other hand, blinked, as if remembering that Jack was still standing right next to him. He forced a smile at Alex, and then stuck out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Alex." He said, though his tone suggested otherwise. Alex hesitated, then took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you too." he muttered.

Nate let his hand drop, then immediately turned to look at Jack again. "So, still six thirty, at the café in Liverpool Street?" he asked her, ignoring the incredulous glare Alex sent him. Jack glanced at Alex, silently warning him, then looked back at Nate and smiled pleasantly. "Of course." She replied.

Nate smiled, as if that pleased him for a different reason.

Alex cleared his throat, uncomfortable. Nate looked back at Alex, a spark of anger in his eyes that instantly subsided soon after. He smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, this must be strange to you, being young and all." Nate said, purposely stressing the word _young_.

Alex held back a growl as Nate quickly kissed Jack on the cheek, whispered something in her ear, and exited without a sound.

Jack let out a huff of air, as if she had been holding it in for the whole time. She glanced at Alex, who was staring at her with an expression that was a mixture of both surprise and utter loathing. She sighed, and turned to face him full on.

"Um." she said, unsure where to start first.

"So." Alex started, unable to hold his in his annoyance. "Old friend from college huh?"

"Yeah….." Jack apologized, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him earlier. I just thought it would get…" she said, gesturing at his expression, "awkward."

Alex sighed. He knew days like this would happen. He just didn't like the fact that it was _today_. After what he was about to tell Jack.

"Jack," he said, defeated, "MI6 called. I need to go to the bank tomorrow after school."

Jack paused in surprise, then her fists immediately clenched in anger.

"Why can't they leave you alone?" she said again, her voice laced with despair. "You saw what happened last time in Kenya! It's a miracle you don't have scars from that place."

Alex laughed humorlessly. "I have enough as it is." But then he sighed. "Jack, I still have to go. I don't want to know what kind of blackmail they'll use to get me there. And I'm pretty positive it'll involve you."

Jack looked at Alex sadly. "Sometimes I think things would be easier for both of us if I just left." she whispered. Alex's eyes widened.

"Don't." he pleaded. "Just don't. You're like a big sister to me. How can you say that it would be easier for me if you left?"

Jack shrugged, and then smiled faintly. "I guess it wouldn't." Then her grin became more genuine. "Enough of this depressing topic." She said cheerily "So what do you want to do for the rest of the day?"

Alex chuckled. There was the old Jack.

**Hellllloooo everybody! I'm sorry if this isn't the best writing you've ever seen. I'm still working on it. This was just a good idea that I had, so, obviously, if it appears too fast, bad grammar, wrong usage of words, ANYTHING! Don't hesitate to let me know. It would help a lot.**

**Rate and review, that's about all I've got to say now. **

**Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Nate Vostal quickly turned on his computer as he settled down in his house. His mind was buzzing with his conversation with Jack, not only from talking about their pasts, but from the opportunities this offered him. He had a girlfriend! Someone who he could show off to all his friends and family. And, if he played this right, quite possibly even a wife. Someone who would dote on him twenty four seven.

The only problem in the situation was her child ward, Alex Rider. If only he could get out of the picture, then everything would be perfect. Alex was old enough to understand the "grown up" things in a relationship, but young enough to have no interest in it. Hate it even. So he posed an obvious problem of sorts. Nate rubbed his chin, deep in thought, though somewhere in the back of his mind he still managed to remember that he hadn't shaved for the day. He sighed, and then quickly sat down in front of his laptop as he realized that it had turned itself on.

'Liverpool Street' he typed in as soon as he clicked on the appropriate search engine. A hundred different answers popped up, some about Liverpool Street book stores, the Liverpool Station, as well as restaurants, which he was about to click on, until he stumbled across a site that showed a bank called "The Royal and General". His face lit up as he took in the details. Double, one way glass doors in the side of the building **(1),** and a lobby station just up front. It was perfect

He had told Jack that afternoon that he worked as an engineer in the west part of London. What he didn't tell her is that that was just his night job. His day job, on the other hand, was far more interesting.

He took out a piece of notebook paper and jotted down all the specifics. The address, the hours it was open. Everything. Then he quickly stuffed the paper into a drawer that was filled with several other pieces of paper, some ripped, some scribbled on.

He was just about to turn off the computer, when he suddenly remembered Alex. Nate frowned. What could he do to get him away from Jack? It wasn't like Alex was the kind to live on the streets. He had appeared to be a well natured kid.

Jack told him he had been sick a lot though, but he hadn't believed her, since he heard rumors from the teachers in Brookland that Alex had once gotten in trouble with the police, sometime last year. Nate's face took up a thoughtful expression.

Was it possible for a guardian to be so fed up with their child that they would let them go? It was a bold idea, Nate knew, but if it worked, he would have a girlfriend all to himself.

With no Alex to get in the way.

* * *

Alex Rider was quietly growling to himself as he walked home from the bank. Ms. Jones had informed him of the fact that he could quite possibly be in danger, and that he had to switch houses right away. What she refused to do, though, was explain to him what kind of danger he was into.

"_You'll just have to take our word for it." _she had explained. Alex's eyes narrowed at the lack of information.

"_I don't believe you."_ he had replied. _"My life is more confusing to me than to other people as it is. I don't want anything to do with you anymore!"_ Then he walked out of the room and slammed the door.

On the way home, however, he was beginning to regret his own words. What if MI6 had been telling the truth? What if Jack had gotten hurt because of him? Would he be able to live with himself?

He looked back the way he came, wondering if he should just go back and except their offer. Then he changed his mind, turning back toward the street angrily. That was probably what they wanted him to do anyways.

Suddenly, a silver car pulled up right next to him. Alex tensed. Could MI6 want him to go back already? His suspicions were erased, however, when he saw Nate get out of the car and walk up to him, smiling.

"Alex!" he exclaimed. "What a coincidence meeting you here!"

Alex grinned weakly, alarm flooding through his mind. Had Nate followed him here?

Nate took in Alex's expression, and then chuckled. "I was going to that restaurant Jack and I had planned to meet to schedule a reservation." He explained, pointing over to a building behind him. Alex nodded, feigning trust. Truthfully, though, he didn't believe a thing that Nate had said.

"Why are _you _here?" Nate asked, mock confusion replacing his expression. "I saw you leave from the bank. Do you have an account there?"

Alex hesitated, then answered, "I don't. My friend does though. He told me to meet up there at some time ago to discuss our homework."

Nate took a good look at Alex, and then smirked. "Come on 'Lex, we both know you didn't go there to meet up with somebody."

Alex rolled his eyes. He knew what Nate was trying to get him to say, and he wasn't gonna say it. "I'm serious." Alex insisted, taking a step back from Jack's boyfriend. "He left a few minutes ago. You just missed him."

Nate stared at Alex, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Then, finally, after a few seconds, his expression cleared. "Whatever, Alex." he said, deciding to drop the subject. "But you can share your secrets to me whenever you feel like it. I won't judge you."

Alex glared at Nate, causing him to backtrack. "You want to know what I'm thinking now?" he offered. Nate, not noticing the venom in the teenager's voice, nodded eagerly.

"Then here it is." Alex said. "I don't approve of you being with Jack."

Then he walked away, leaving an extremely stunned and angry Nate standing on the sidewalk alone

"You said you wouldn't judge me." Alex reminded later on.

**Haha! Was that speedy updating or what!**

**(1) I don't know if banks have this type of door (nor was I able to search it up) Sooooo, let's just pretend that some do. Savvy? **

**Yeah, once again, don't hesitate to tell me if spell check missed a word, or if my grammar's bad or something. It's really helpful. (Just don't tell me some random tips that I don't really need. I've never gotten those, but that doesn't mean I want to either.) And yes, I know this chapter was short. It looked longer when I typed it...  
**

**Rate and review! I love those!**


	3. Chapter 3

**To my best friend, Irena Fiddlesticks**

**

* * *

**

Alex Rider thought he was having a pretty good day, up until the moment his phone went off. Before that, however, he had managed to score two goals for his team in the soccer **(1)** match that day, and had even been able to catch up to his school work, which had began piling up from the moment he had met MI6, and was currently walking home from school with the idea of less homework already buzzing around his head.

Of course though, the moment Alex had picked up the phone, everything went downhill when he heard, "Hello. Alex Rider?"

Alex frowned. He didn't recognize the voice. "Yes, who is this?"

"My name is Theresa Paine." the voice explained. "I am from Social Services. Do you think I could speak with you for a moment?"

Alex's eyebrows rose. Social Services? "Um…yeah, sure." he said, "What do you want to tell me?"

She heard the lady on the other line pause, along with the shuffling of papers and some prolonged throat clearing. "Alexander Jonathan Rider **(2)**," she began, "do you feel that you are living in a home that is aptly situated for your well being? That your current guardian is able to provide you the necessities of a proper childhood, and displayed no kinds of abuse what so ever?"

Alex choked on his words in shock. Abuse? Well being? Why were they calling him in the first place? "I-I'm sorry." he stuttered. "But can you please explain to me _why_ exactly you're asking me these questions?"

Theresa smiled coldly from her station. "Mr. Rider, I cannot fully answer these questions until we are met face to face." then she paused. "Would you mind if I came over to your house sometime this week to discuss this?"

Alex hesitated. "Er…sure, of course, Ms. Paine." he said, "But what does my guardian, Jack, know about this?"

Theresa chuckled. "Oh, don't worry Alex. Ms. Jacqueline Starbright has already been informed of all of this. In fact, she was the one who provided us your number."

Alex froze as he realized that he had reached his home. He saw a worried Jack looking through the curtains, and made a gesture that told her he was busy. She nodded, and walked away.

"Oookay?" Alex muttered. "So, when do you plan on coming?"

Theresa answered promptly. "6:30 tomorrow afternoon."

Alex paused, surprised at how quickly he had received an answer. Then he realized something. "Ms. Paine," he said hurriedly, "I'm sorry, but Jack's boyfriend, Nate, is coming over then. Do you think we can reschedule?"

Theresa chuckled silently to herself. "I'm sorry, but the rest of my week is unavailable. I'm sure Nate won't mind the sudden change of plans."

Alex glared at the window as he saw a familiar face peep through. "Yeah, I'm sure he wouldn't." he muttered, and then he promptly hung up on the social worker.

Alex growled silently to himself when he saw Nate's expression from the window turn smug. Now he knew exactly where the call came from, and why it did. He changed his face to blank look, however, as he entered the front. He didn't want to give Nate the satisfaction.

"Alex!" Jack cried as he came through the door. "I was afraid you'd been abducted by some terrorist group. Where have you've been?"

Alex rolled his eyes at Jack's inside joke. "I had soccer practice, remember?" he muttered, not wanting to get into details about the rest of his day, especially the phone call.

"Alex, a word please." Nate said as he walked toward his girlfriend's ward. Alex tensed, his suspicions answered as he saw the expression on Nate's face. And then he relaxed. "Of course." Alex said, and then led Nate into the kitchen.

Nate sat down on the first chair they came upon, leaving Alex to walk over to the other side of the room just to grab another. As soon as Alex sat down, however, Nate's expression turned sympathetic.

"Alex," he began, "I'm sure you just received a call from your social worker, about your living situation."

Alex frowned. "Yes," he answered, feigning confusion. "How did you know?"

Nate sighed, sounding remorseful. "I'm sorry, Alex. I was the one who called them.

"I thought it seemed that you were unhappy living with Jack, with you disappearing and all-" Nate would have said more, but he was cut off by an indignant Alex.

"Disappearing?" Alex cried, surprised at what Nate knew about him, "Since when have I been disappearing? I've been sick, that's all. Just ask Jack!"

Nate rolled his eyes at the teen's insistent pleading. "Alex, I'm sure you _have_ been sick a few times. But 8 prolonged illnesses in one year? Even an idiot could guess that that couldn't be true."

Alex resisted jibbing back, "I'm sure you would know." at Nate. Then he let out a long breath, his anger quickly building up. "Nate, I _have_ been sick." he said, "My immune system is out of whack. I can even give you my doctor's number if you'd like. He would explain everything to you."

Nate smiled, undeterred. "I'm sure you could, Alex." he said, "But I've heard a rumor that you got tangled up with the police earlier this year. Your teachers say you went away 'sick' soon after. Can you explain that?"

Alex's eyebrows rose. Nate had talked with his teachers? "I was mixed up with the police because I wanted to end the drug dealing in my school." He said, disgust clouding his tone as he remembered all the victims Skoda had accumulated. "I might have gotten sick because of the lousy food they gave me."

Nate just stared at Alex, looking as if he were sizing him up. Then he shook his head.

"Alex," he whispered, "I can tell that you're not telling the truth. Why don't you just tell me, and get it over with? I'm sure you wouldn't want to be separated from Jack."

Alex glared at Nate at the silent threat. "I don't have to." he hissed, unable to contain his anger. This was over the line. "I have access to things that you wouldn't even dream of, so you can just kiss your future with Jack goodbye."

Nate's face looked triumphant. "Of course Alex." he murmured. "Whatever you say." And then he walked out of the room, leaving a furious Alex to glare at his footsteps.

His day had gone downhill rapidly indeed.

**Oookay everybody. Sorry about the delay. I had a strange case of writers block. It included a friend texting me too much and cutting off my train of thought.**

**I'm joking. I just couldn't think of where to lead this. But I've got it now. **

**(1): I know everybody says that in England, people call it football, but not everybody_ here_ is from England, so I'm just sticking to my native language. And besides, Anthony Horowitz never once call it football or soccer in his books. So you can say that we have a choice!**

**(2): I'm pretty sure that's his name, I'll have to double check. And the part with the social services, I know I probably made Theresa seem mean. You'll see why later. Oh, and if anybody spots a mistake that I made that had anything to do with S.S, please tell me.  
**

**Thank you for all the reviews I'm receiving. It always makes a writer feel better when they know that somebody's reading their story.**

**And, as usual, don't hesitate to tell me when I'm speeding up, or have some grammatical error, or something.**

**Rate and Review!**

**Chow!**


	4. Chapter 4

Theresa Paine laughed quietly to herself as she approached the house of Alex Rider. Even before she met the boy, she could already guess that this would be a cinch. As far as Nate had explained to her, the kid was just about as good as an average delinquent. Frequent absences from school, random scarring that couldn't be explained by sports. Not to mention the look that several of his teachers had described as….haunted. Older, even possibly more serious than a 15 year old should have. Almost instinctively, she randomly scanned through a mental list of all the suspected gangs in the area, wondering if Alex was part of any.

As she pulled up on the well kept front of the Rider's driveway, however, she began to have a small inkling of doubt. Surely this wasn't what their yard _really_ looked like. The boy that Nate described couldn't possibly stand to have such a neat home, with its neatly trimmed grass and the pretty little flowers near the door. Where was the recently dug up earth, the random trash in the shrubbery? Was she even at the right house?

Her suspicions were finally eased, though, as soon as she saw Nate peak through the window. She grinned, and then waved back at her "boyfriend". Sure, they'd broken it up a few months ago. But that didn't mean she couldn't still have a soft spot for him…and what he did.

As soon as she stepped out of her car, did a quick makeup check, and began walking toward the front of the house, the door was immediately opened by a blank faced teenage boy.

Theresa did a double take. Nate had obviously lied to her. The boy couldn't possibly a delinquent. No, a teenage model was more like it. His body was perfectly toned, with just a hint of an old tan still clinging to the skin. His hands, while mildly calloused, were folded in front of him in what was almost like a defiant gesture. His clothes were average, no special name brand, no distinct style, but they were all well kept, well washed. What part of him even _suggested _delinquency?

She glanced back at Nate in the window, and suddenly was sorely tempted to storm inside the house and lecture him about the consequences of wasting her time. Immensely temped, that is, until she met Alex's eyes. There it was. That older look in those deep, brown eyes that couldn't possibly have been acquired from just doing homework and playing sports all day. There was definitely something more going on then it seemed.

"Hello Alex." Theresa greeted pleasantly, holding out her hand. Alex hesitated, and then took it, shaking it while replying, "Hi."

A young woman with curly red hair appeared behind the teen. Theresa guessed it was Jacqueline, the guardian of Alex Rider. She smiled. "And…you must be Miss. Starbright."

The red head smiled weakly. "Just call me Jack."

They both let her in; allowing her to pause and observe the room as they quietly closed the door behind her.

Theresa took one quick look around the house, and then immediately glared an accusing look at Nate. He replied with a slight shrug and his best '_I'll-explain-later_'glance.

Alex looked at Jack expectantly. Jack started, and then gestured vaguely at the kitchen. "Would you like anything to drink?" she offered.

"Water would be nice."

Alex led Theresa to the living room while Jack came in the beverages. As Theresa began to sit down on the couch, Nate, as if instinctively, began to sit down right next to her. Theresa uncomfortably cleared her throat. He pulled away immediately, ignoring Alex's raised eyebrow and Jack's surprised stare.

"So…Nate told me that he called you guys." Alex started, sending a death glance in his guardian's boyfriend's direction. Nate's expression turned smug again.

Theresa glanced awkwardly at the two. "Yes…." she said, "He told me that you were missing a lot of school, and he was worried about you."

"Fat chance." Alex muttered underneath his breath. Jack, hearing him, gave him a warning look. He sighed.

"I wish I had a better answer than this," he said, "but I've been telling the truth to Nate all along. I've. Been. Sick."

Theresa nodded. "And what of those multiple police encounters, trouble with the law?"

Alex frowned. Jack spoke up, surprised. "_Multiple _police encounters?"

"Yes," Theresa explained, "I've been told that Alex had been part of some crane incident, and then he got in trouble again for being let out of _that_ incident early by bribing a senior officer…" she trailed off at Alex's expression.

"Bribing the officer?" he nearly exploded. Where did she get that?

Theresa looked confused. "It said that several of the younger officers believed that you had been sending money to the senior officer, and so they started a small investigation on you. I assumed they had talked to you…"

Alex ignored Jack's surprised glance at him, too shocked himself. "And what did they find?" he asked.

The Social Worker shrugged. "No proof, I guess." Then she sent him a meaningful glance. "Though I wouldn't suggest getting tangled up with them at the moment. You know how those officers love to get payback."

Sullenly, Alex glared at her. "Well that just puts all of my evil schemes back a bit." he said sarcastically. Nate rolled his eyes.

Theresa ignored him. "If you don't mind, I'd like to speak to you alone." she stated suddenly.

Instinctively, Jack leaned protectively closer to her ward. "Alone?" she said, "Why?"

Theresa smiled reassuringly. "Oh, don't worry. It's just part of my protocol. It'll be over in a few minutes." Then she mock shooed them from the room. Unfortunately, nobody laughed.

Alex's eyes followed both Jack and Nate as they walked out of the room. Jack was just closing the door behind her, when Nate checked his watch. "Oh crap." he muttered.

Jack turned back to face her boyfriend. "What is it?" she asked.

He shrugged apologetically. "I was supposed to meet a friend at the bank today." he said. "I guess won't be able to make it at this rate….."

Jack waved him off. "Go ahead." she said huffily, "Alex won't mind."

Smiling gratefully at her, Nate said, "Thanks, Jackie." Minutes later, he left.

Jack turned back to the door, realizing she hadn't closed it all the way. In fact, she could see Alex staring at her through the crack, as if warning her of something. She looked around. Nothing out of the ordinary….

"So, Alex, how do you like your school." Theresa's muffled voice drifted through the wall. Jack closed her eyes, and leaned back. This would probably take a while.

* * *

As Alex watched the door close behind Theresa, he couldn't help but think of the nagging question that had occurred to him during the interview. Why had she seemed all _nice_ all of a sudden?

Another thought occurred to him, a different notion that could possibly be the answer to his previous question.

"Jack?" he started, "Where did Nate go when I was being interviewed?"

Jack turned away from her cooking and half smiled at Alex. "Oh, he said he was meeting a friend at the bank."

Alex's eyes flashed. After a brief pause, he said, "I don't think he was going to the bank." Jack frowned, then turned off the stove and came to sit in front of Alex on the table.

"Why's that?" she asked.

Alex glanced cautiously at her. "Did you see Theresa's finger?" he started. Jack thought back, and then shook her head. "No, why?"

"There was a ring of skin around her left, fourth finger that was paler then the rest." he hinted to her. Jack hesitated for a second, and then paled considerable.

"Oh…oh my." she said, understanding Alex's theory. "Oh, that poor woman…" **(1)**

Alex shook his head, not finished yet. "And," he continued, giving Jack his best apologetic glance, "I noticed that Nate had a similar tan line on his finger as well."

Jack opened her mouth, but then immediately closed it again. She didn't speak for a minute. Then two. Finally, just as Alex was wondering if he had went too far, she said, "So are you saying that Theresa and Nate knew each other before, possibly even engaged to be married, and they, what, broke it off?" She leaned her head against the wall, confused. "But if so, why didn't Nate tell us originally?" she grumbled.

Alex didn't speak for a second. Curious, Jack sat up straight again. "What?" she asked.

"I don't think Nate left for the bank to talk to a _friend_." he murmured. She took another second to process his words and what they meant. Then she held up her hands in confusions.

"Wait," she said, "are you saying that Nate and Theresa had planned all this out beforehand?" Jack half smiled, almost expecting it to be a joke. "They can't hate you that bad." But when she saw that Alex's lack of emotion to her words, she frowned.

"Do you even have proof of them meeting up before today?"

Another pause, then,

"Jack." Alex said softly. "Nate can't possibly be going to the bank. None of them are even open today."

**I know this took FOREVER to update. In fact, it probably would have been done much later, if not for a good friend of mine holding me at text gunpoint and saying that if I didn't update, well…..I did say gunpoint, didn't I?**

**(1) You know what this means right? If not, ask me :)**

**Yes, so, please review (as always). It was actually a lot of fun updating this.**

**Sayonara! **


	5. Chapter 5

**I believe a long and sincere Apology is in the works for my lack of updating for the past few months. I wouldn't be surprised if those reading this had forgot all about it before today. Even so, let me just say it and get it over with so you can enjoy this new and _extremely_ long chapter.**

**I'm sorry.  
**

The phone rang early in the morning, loud and demanding; as if it were trying it's best to alert its owners to the severity of the call. Alex Rider opened his eyes. Bleary from sleep, he stumbled over to the nearest receiver as it went through its second peal. The ringing stopped.

"Rider residence…"

Alex Rider frowned as he listened to what the caller had to say. He blinked, and then finally spoke, "Who is this again?"

A second of silence as he paused to listen to the answer, and then a yawn. "It's the morning. Are you sure it's that important that I have to go right now?"

A single reply, and then a quiet click as the caller hang up. Alex sighed, and put the phone back on its holder.

"Who was that?"

Alex groggily turned around to face Jack, who was wrapping in a robe, rubbing her eyes to clear them. Alex shrugged.

"They called." he said simply. "Said I had to come down immediately."

Jack frowned, and glanced at the clock. Alex followed her line of sight. It was 6:32 in the morning.

"This early?" she said disbelievingly. Alex hesitated, and shrugged.

"I guess so." His tone had a hint of dismissal. To Jack's surprise though, he began sauntering quietly towards the bathroom door. "I'm sure they won't mind if I'm a little late…"

The corner of Jack's lips lifted in a small grin as she listened to the sounds of the shower being turned on. It was nice to know that her little ward was still himself. Not some broken, beaten down child she was sure she would have turned out to be if she'd gone through everything he had. Alex was stronger than anyone she'd ever known.

Suddenly, her own cell phone from her room rang. Jack snapped out of her inner musing and immediately ran back to answer it. "Coming, coming." she muttered as she riffled through old clothes, blankets and papers to get to her phone. It rang insistently, even as she managed to pull it out of the wreck.

Jack frowned. The caller ID read Nate Vostal. She stared at the humming phone as it went through its last ring, debating whether or not to still answer it. After all, he'd lied to her about going to the bank. And about his relationship with Theresa. Didn't she have the right to ignore him for just a few minutes?

The phone finally stopped ringing. Jack stared at it for a few more seconds, and then quietly plopped it back on the wreck of clothes underneath her, feeling oddly satisfied.

_Serves him right_, she thought as she crawled back into bed. _Going to the nonexistent bank again, dear Nate?_

* * *

Nate Vostal stared at his unanswered phone as he slowly parked himself in front of his destination. Was Jack still asleep? Or was she ignoring him?

Nate closed his eyes, silently berating himself over considering the latter. Of course she was asleep. It was six thirty in the morning. Any _normal_ person would still be zoned out in dreamland at this time. Besides, why would she be ignoring him anyway? He'd done nothing wrong. And it wasn't like she was the type to go digging into one's past. He even doubted that she'd caught his slipup with the whole bank think. Theresa had scolded him over making such an amateur mistake, but from Jack's expression, he could tell that she didn't notice.

Nate glanced at the building he was parked in front, the one that was almost silently beckoning him to go and rob. _No,_ he reprimanded himself as he checked over his gear again. He had to wait for the rest of his team to show up. Then he'd be able to do more than simply strip the place like a normal burglar. Chuckling to himself, he licked his lips in anticipation. This was gonna be fun.

* * *

"_Breaking news. It has been reported that our local bank, Union Chance, was recently burglarized by a team of masked men at about 6:40 this morning. Witnesses claim that they saw a group of about 5 people, their identities hidden by a mask and dark clothing, smash in the windows, pick the locks, and empty the entire building of its money."_

Jack Starbright yawned, lazily stretching out on the couch she was camped out in. Getting up so early in the morning was not good for one's health, especially if that one was her. She had never been much for waking up early. And been interrupted from her sleep at 6:30 in the morning definitely landed in the too-early category.

"_The bank manager explains that all protective regulations had been met, and that it had no way of knowing that such a frontal attack was imminent"._

"Well," Jack muttered to herself as she took a small sip of orange juice. "At least it didn't rob _my_ bank."

"'_I don't know what happened."_ The panic in the person's voice was evident."_One minute it was quiet, and then the next minute, these huge vans came screeching from the road. One of them almost hit me. Oh god, some of them were carrying guns."_

Jack choked, spitting out the remaining orange juice inelegantly onto the white carpet below, leaving and ugly orange blotch that slowly sank into the fabric. The new stain was immediately forgotten, however, as she stared at the television. At the pale, familiar face being broadcasted live to every single open set in London.

"_Nate Vostal, one of the eyewitnesses who willingly allowed his identity to be given, claims that the robbers broke in, with two guardsmen standing at the door, stripped the building, and ran away in no less than ten minutes flat. Their total haul reportedly consisted of over one hundred thousand pounds worth in bills, a few of the bank's computers and computer systems, and some new equipment that the bank had purchased two weeks prior. Any further damages have not yet been reported.  
"The site is well known for their frequent gang activities, however, which may be a vital piece of information to the authorities working the case."_

Jack blinked. So Nate…_was_ going to the bank? The bank with known gang activity? Random thoughts began swirling around her head as different points tried to connect to each other. Nate had said that he was going to the bank…but that hadn't been this morning. Why was he there so early…did this happen before he called her?

Jack groaned and threw up her hands in exasperation. Alex was at The Royal and General, Nate was on TV, and here she was, lying on the couch with an orange puddle slowly spreading beneath her feet.

Her day was starting out fine. Just fine.

* * *

_Continuing from our last broadcast, we would like to inform the viewers that another robbery has just occurred, happening some fifty miles away from the last site. The callers who reported this burglary wishes to remain, as well as the last time, anonymous._

Nate Vostal clucked his tongue and pulled Jack closer by him on the couch, not seeing the sudden flash annoyance in her eyes. "You know, if only those newscasters had gotten me yesterday. I my hair actually looked nice at the time."

Jack rolled her eyes at the indignant tone her boyfriend was using. Gently prying herself out of his grip, she sat up and left the room, leaving Nate alone by the television, admiring himself.

Alex looked up from his homework on the kitchen table, Jack's expression as she walked toward him effectively jerking him away from his previous pondering over his recent meeting with MI6. He almost grinned as she slid in front of him on the opposite seat.

"I think I've made a stupid mistake." she groaned as she took a small sip of water from her cup. Alex chuckled, and turned his attention back to his Maths homework, not wanting to comment. Finally, carefully deciding his exact words, he asked, "How's that?"

Jack shook her head, catching his tone. "You know what I mean. Nate –"she gestured toward her boyfriend, "– and stuff."

Alex silently fought back his smile as Nate turned at his name. Jack merely shook her head, and he turned back around to admire himself on television again. Alex shrugged.

"It wasn't your fault." he reassured in a whisper. Jack rolled her eyes, but he continued on. "After all, it's nice to reconnect with friends once in a while. They're usually always miraculously there for you…"

Suddenly, Alex frowned, his thoughts catching up with him.

Jack blinked at the sudden change in his appearance. "Um…"

But Alex shook his head. Finally, he fixed his stare at Nate. "Why was _he_ there at _that_ bank?" he asked aloud. Nate himself turned to look at him again, his face unreadable.

"What?"

Alex slowly leaned back in his chair, his arms crossing in front of him. "You're bank isn't The Union Chance." he said. "It's the same as ours. So why were you there? At that exact time?"

Nate gave Alex an incredulous look, as if the answer couldn't be simpler. "I was meeting a friend."

"At 6:30 am, in a place with known _gang activity_?"

The awkward silence was broken when Nate barked a short laugh. It sounded fake.

"Really, Alex." he mocked. "You think I'm a part of this? This whole...burglary thing?" He rolled his eyes. "I thought you were above silly conspiracies and make believe. I guess I was wrong. I'm just the innocent bystander."

Jack clenched her fist as she watched Alex portray an unnatural lack of emotion to Nate's words whatsoever. Except for his eyes. His eyes told they whole story. They were practically screaming at her: _Innocent bystanders are never always innocent_. It scared her to see him like that. It only showed her that he _was_ different from the child she'd known before MI6. Before their lives had been so drastically changed.

"Don't say that." She surprised herself by speaking up for her silent ward. Alex blinked and turned to her, as if forgetting she was there. She gave him a hard stare before turning her words back to Nate. "Alex isn't one to cry wolf. Especially not if it's to something close to him."

Nate returned her glare. "Who's side are you one exactly." he snapped. Jack refrained herself from emitting an animalistic growl.

"The _right_ side."

Nate huffed an indignant sigh. "Honestly," he complained, "I would think to expect a little more concern form my health at this. Especially from _you_, Jack. I was risking my own welfare by going to that place anyways." Both Jack and Alex caught his sudden need to change the subject. Alex shook his head.

"So what was the _real _reason you were there?"

Nate's eyes glinted. "I just told you, to meet a friend!"

"A friend who was risking your own health?"

"Yes, so?"

"What kind of a friend is that, even if it is one?"

"A friend!"

Both Nate and Alex were fuming as their rant went into a stalemate. Both refused to speak first, and yet both still refused to back down. A new thought then occurred to Alex.

"Why didn't you call the police?"

Nate backtracked, not expecting the accusation. Alex folded his arms in front of himself, knowing that he had caught Nate red handed. He continued before Nate could retaliate.

"The reporter said that the people who called had wished to remain anonymous. And yet you said yourself on _live television_ that you were the first one on the scene." He shook his head and smiled, quietly scolding himself for missing the obvious. "Did you drop your phone and forget to pick it up or something? Or did you somehow forget the _three digit_ phone number?"

Nate opened his mouth, and then shut it immediately when he realized that there was nothing to say without helping Alex further. Finally, after a tense pause, he settled on whispering. "Why do you care?" before getting off the couch and walking toward the door. "You're only a _boy_. You wouldn't understand."

Jack could tell with the sudden, dangerous flare in Alex's eyes that Nate had pushed it. Telling Alex was only a boy was like saying a loaded pistol was only a toy. She knew that Alex resented the fact that even though he was only a teen, it never stopped people like MI6 from using him, and then brushing him aside like dust whenever they decided he wasn't need anymore. That and the fact that his opinions were always second guessed, always double checked. Just because he was _only a boy_.

"Don't come back." Alex said quietly. Nate stopped, and turned around, his eyes flaming.

"What did you say to me?"

Alex's jaw clenched and he visibly tensed. "I said," he repeated calmly, despite his appearance, "Never come here again."

Nate paused, and then suddenly began powering toward Alex, his face betraying the violence lurking underneath. Jack expected this, however, and intercepted him before he even came halfway. Her eyes were as hard as steel. Nate backpedaled and motioned toward her ward, as if she could do anything about him. Jack merely shook her head and gestured toward the door.

"Bye Nate." She said quietly, face set into a poker expression. "It was nice seeing you."

For a minute, Nate's expression was so furious, so mind-blindingly betrayed that if he were staring at anybody but Alex and Jack, the person would have backed off immediately, cowering in the corner. He wasn't, however, facing normal people. So finally, with an angry sniff at being outnumbered, he spun around and promptly tore the door open, not even bothering to glance back as he slammed it behind him, rattling the entire house.

Jack and Alex simply stood there for another minute as they both listened to the screeching of a car pulling out of the driveway, signaling that Nate was long gone and never coming back. At least, that's what they hoped.

It was Jack who finally broke the silence. As she turned to look at Alex, something caught her eye that gave her a great jerk inside. She suddenly felt like she'd only realized something major, and it changed everything she'd known. Her poker face slipped. Even so, she sighed.

"Well," she tried cheerfully. "At least that's over with. Who wants some eggs?"

"Jack…" Alex began, noticing her previous expression. She, however, refused to hear any of it.

"I think I may break my own ten minute rule today. Grab some extra spice while I'm at it..."

"Jack?" Alex tried again. And again did she tune him out.

"Hey, do you think eggs go well with ketchup? I never tried it…"

It was at the mention of eggs and ketchup did Alex decided to finally speak, despite her ramblings.

"Jack, are you _okay_?"

Jack finally turned around to look him in the eyes, blinking as she caught the intense, cautionary stare Alex was giving her. She choked on her words as her emotions finally caught up to her.

"Are you _okay_?" Alex repeated again.

Jack took a deep breath, reveling in the feeling of oxygen traveling through her lungs and into her bloodstream. Finally, she got a hold of herself again and smiled, shaking her head.

"Yeah." she said, striving to look as normal as she possibly could. "Yeah, I'm good."

Alex quietly breathed out a sigh of relief, but didn't relax his watch on her. He knew something was up. He just couldn't pin point the exact reason why.

And Jack was relieved he didn't figure it out, because as she watched Alex go to bed upstairs after an extraordinary dinner of eggs and ketchup, she slowly closed her eyes and leaned against the counter, taking a deep breath in, and then two. She wasn't feeling this sudden wave of unexplainable emotion because Nate left. Far, far from it. It was the fact that Alex was not the child she'd known that was tearing her to bits inside. He was…changed. Different. Some part of him had been destroyed, taken, gone forever, to be replaced by solid steel, cold and hard. He was still Alex, yes, but he wasn't…Alex. She couldn't explain it.

Jack stared up at the ceiling as she quietly amended what she had said earlier in the morning. Alex Rider wasn't _himself_ anymore. He _had _been changed. The only reason why she took so long to realize was due of the fact that he was trying so hard to hide it.

Except she knew. Now.

Because when she'd looked into Alex's eyes, right after Nate left, she hadn't seen the face of a normal teenager. Not even the face of a normal Alex. No.

The only face she'd seen after Nate left was the face of a cold and calculating spy.

* * *

Alex Rider was quietly mulling over his thoughts of MI6 when the van suddenly came screeching toward him.

It was early in the morning, and he was walking towards school, stomach still queasy from the strange dinner Jack served last night, when the meeting with MI6 came back to him.

"_Alex." Ms. Jones had skipped pleasantries and gone straight to the case. "We believe that we may have a problem."_

_Alex's eyebrows rose. Choking out a small laugh, he replied. "Well that's … new."_

_Alan Blunt in front of him simply blinked at the teen. As usual, he portrayed a general lack of emotion to everything. "Don't take this as a joke, Alex." he warned, despite his expression. "We have reason to believe that a small organization is attempting to breach government and military files."_

_Alex slowly leaned back in his chair, not believing what he was hearing. "Okay." he said simply, unsure where Blunt was going. "And this is new to you?"_

_The corner of Alan Blunt's mouth twitched, the only sign of irritation that he portrayed. Ms. Jones replied for him._

"_Not really."_

_Alex still had no clue what the major problem was. "What does this have to do with me?"_

_Both Blunt and Jones blinked at him at the same time. It would have been comical if it had been with any other people. Finally, after an awkward silence, Ms. Jones spoke up again. _

"_We only wanted to keep you informed, Alex. I thought you hated when we went behind your back?"_

Alex quietly mulled over what she meant by that. Keep him informed. Keep him informed on what? Terrorists that were set on breaching the government database? Wasn't that MI5's job to prevent that anyway?

He turned the corner away from his neighborhood, preparing to cross the street, when the van slowly pulled up across the street, unawares to him.

Alex glanced at the right, then the left, smirking to himself as he remembered an old saying that Jack had told him when he was little. _Look both ways before you cross the street, Alex._ He wasn't sure if she'd made it up, or if it was mainly an American saying, because he'd never heard anybody other than her say it. Even so, he thought it wasn't half bad, if not a little obvious.

He was halfway across when he felt it. The strange, gut sense that told him something wasn't right. The spy instinct that, as Ian Rider would have explained it, you either had it or you didn't. And Alex had it. He'd been unconsciously honing in on it ever since MI6 dragged him into their web of conspiracy and lies.

And that's was prompted him to look both ways again as he slowed down in the middle of the road. The screeching of tires was the first to alert him as he twisted his neck toward the open road, the silver grill of the van almost grinning grotesquely at him as it sped closer and closer to him.

The world went into slow motion. Alex spun around, running back the way he'd come and missing the car by inches. He barely heard the screech as it turned back to face him again, being too busy running across the sidewalk, quietly grateful for the fact that it was early morning and there weren't too many people crowding his way.

Then again, too little people also meant the fact that there wouldn't be anybody out there to help him. Alex's lips tightened grimly at the fact and he powered on.

The van began to catch up to him again. Alex, in a split second decision, took a hard left, switching off from the original route and towards one adjacent to it. He heard another screech, and he congratulated himself for predicting that the van wouldn't be as maneuverable as a teenage boy.

It was when Alex made the mistake of turning around to look back at the van, though, that ended up rendering that fact pointless. Catching the grinning face of a man behind the wheel, Alex had only a second to wonder why he was smiling when he heard the growl of another car engine, this time right behind him.

Everything went into slow motion from then on out again. Alex spun around, barely catching the sight of a silver car pulling up directly in front of him before his legs were torn from under him. His moment carried him across the windshield, slamming his back and cracking the glass as he half rolled, half flew across the top of the car. He didn't even stop moving when he hit the pavement below, slamming his head on the gravel and rolling over a few more times before he finally came to a stop in the middle of the road.

The two drivers surveyed their work carefully, almost professionally, before backing up and speeding away into the distance. In a matter of seconds, the only evidence of their existence was the artwork of tire tracks on the road and a bleeding body in the midst of it.

Alex Rider remained unmoving on the ground. His arm was twisted unnaturally to the side, his back still bleeding from the glass cutting into him on the windshield. His books from his backpack were strewn across the rest of the area, so disheveled it was almost comical.

His eyes were closed.

_Look both ways before you cross the street, Alex._


	6. Chapter 6

**I think you all have waited long enough. **

_Beep…beep…beep…beep…_

"– broken arm, most likely from landing on it after the accident –"

_Beep…beep…beep…_

"– back's pretty scratched up, needed some stitches –"

_Beep…beep…_

"– small concussion, make sure to wake him up every three hours or so –"

_Beep_

"Alex, can you hear me?"

Alex Rider frowned as his world slowly came back into perspective, one slow inkling at a time. His eyelids felt as if they had weights attached to them, dragging the light lower and lower from his sight until all that he could reach for was the darkness. In the end, after endless coaxing and pleading, he finally managed to open one, and then the other, only to see Jack's worried face hovering above him.

"Alex?"

His immediate frown at her worried expression was quickly replaced as his face morphed into a grin, mostly due to Jack's unruly appearance. He took a deep breath.

"I never knew pajamas were in style." he teased tiredly as he struggled to adjust himself into a more comfortable position. His body was as stiff as a plank of wood, and his head felt as though a timpani that had just performed an award winning symphony in his frontal lobe. Other than that, however, even _he_ had to admit that it wasn't too bad. "Although, hair as messy as that would probably attract most of the attention."

Jack blinked and immediately turned her expression down to her clothes, blushing when she realized that she hadn't changed the moment she heard the screeching of tires, and instantly knew it couldn't mean anything good. In fact, it was Jack herself that found Alex on the street, motionless as a rag doll and about as lifelike as one as well. She still shuddered at the memory.

"Alex…" she tried again, choosing to ignore the whole sleepwear comment. But Alex cut her off.

"I'm fine, Jack." he reassured her.

But that only covered a portion of what she was about to ask. She nodded, unconvinced, but continued on to her next issue anyways.

"Sure you are." She said tersely, her voice suddenly switching into more of a clipped tone. "But it doesn't cover the fact that someone _ran you over_. And left you on the streets." _To die._

Alex blinked, and then internally winced at the memory of the crash. He could still feel the blinding pain in his leg as the car rammed into it; still remember the bite of glass on his back and the sudden burst of agony in his head before it was all sucked down into the void of oblivion.

Even so, he reminded himself, it could have been worse. He'd been shot before, hadn't he?

Jack seemed to be thinking along the same lines, as her expression turned grave again. "This isn't St. Dominic's, if you were wondering." she said matter-a-factly. Alex didn't reply. There was nothing to say. Jack took this as a sign to keep talking.

"You have extensive bruising along your legs, but it's a miracle that they weren't broken. Your back, I don't know if you noticed, is a little cut up. Nothing major. One or two stitches along the deeper cuts, try not to tear those." She took a breath as Alex simply listened to her rambling, no reaction whatsoever.

"Your arm was broken; the doctors think you landed on it the wrong way after you collided into the car." Alex finally raised an eyebrow in surprise, staring down at his right arm swaddled in its thick cast. He hadn't felt _that_ during the crash. Jack hesitated, unsure about his reaction, but continued her informant-esque report as her eyes met his again.

"The only thing major is the concussion to your head. It's not bad, but it's not good either. You're probably gonna have a headache for a while –" Alex chuckled humorlessly. He could attest for that.

"– and they're gonna have to keep you here for one day under observation."

Alex let that information sink in. "Wait," he began indignantly as he realized what she meant. "You mean I'm gonna have to miss school?"

A man in a white coat and aging hair suddenly appeared behind Jack, walking in from the hallway and through the door. "Miss school, miss sports, miss life." He replied airily for her. Then, without pausing to let Alex react, he went on smoothly, "Think about it as a nice break."

Alex hesitated for a moment, reading the name tag on the man's shirt. "Doctor…Rallen?" The doctor nodded, now immersed in the thick chart hanging on the side of Alex's bed.

"The one and only."

Both Alex and Jack didn't know what to say. The room fell into an awkward silence as they settled on watching Dr. Rallen go over Alex's chart. And the both of them remained quiet as Dr. Rallen's eyebrows rose higher and higher.

"Gunshot wound _to the chest_." he whispered incredulously, oblivious to the eyes staring at him. "Minor burning across most of the body. Jesus Christ, kid, what have you been up to?"

Alex hesitated, surprised that they had his medical file, always figuring that MI6 would try to keep it a secret. Then again, they did have an annoying habit of throwing him into the streets whenever he had no use to them. He swallowed the minor shock, and answered as truthfully as he could.

"Something I hope I never have to do again."

Dr. Rallen looked up from the chart, giving Alex a long stare before briskly setting the chart back down and crossing his arms. "Well," he finally continued, cheerfully, as if Alex's cryptic comment didn't give him too much thought. "I should hope not. It's no less than a miracle that you're doing this well."

Alex winced as his head began its drum solo again, his un-broken hand instinctively reaching up to his temple. "Define lucky."

Dr. Rallen chuckled, and glanced over Alex's chart one more time before answering, "A broken arm, some bruising, and a bad concussion after _your_ type of accident." He shook his head in bemusement, "I'd call that _more_ than lucky. You've got to have guardian angels or something."

Jack grinned weakly. "More like the luck of the devil."

Dr. Rallen shrugged. "Or that."

Alex didn't skip a beat before the next most pressing issue on his mind spilled out. "How long will I be here?"

Dr. Rallen's expression didn't change. "No more than a day or two. I want to keep you here under observation, and the police want to ask you a few questions about the accident."

Alex nodded, and settled down back in his bed slowly. A day he could live with. Two was pushing it, but nevertheless, it was better than a week. Or longer.

"But I still wouldn't try to get to active if I were you." Dr. Rallen continued. He gestured vaguely to Alex's broken arm as he explained, "We ran all the possible test on you to see if there was anything wrong on the inside. So far so good, but I don't really want to risk it all falling to mush the next time something happens."

Both Alex's and Jack's eyebrows rose at the words '_next time'_. Dr. Rallen caught it, and then immediately tried to redeem himself by hastily adding, "Not that I think there will be one."

Jack rolled her eyes as she watched him slowly exit the room. Typical doctors. Always going straight to assumptions the moment their next patient rolled up on their desk. On a gurney. After being run over by a car. Whatever worked for them.

"Jack?" Alex's voice broke through her mind, settling into her though process as she turned around to face him again. He was staring expectantly at her.

"Yes?"

His face changed back into that playful grin again, his eyes silently gesturing to her clothes as he said, "You should go home and change. I'll be fine."

Jack shrugged, but didn't contest the suggestion. "You sure?" she checked.

Alex nodded. He was silent as Jack gave him one last pat on the head, listening patiently as she apologized when it caused him to wince again, and remained silent as she walked out of the door, out of the hospital, and out of his reach.

He leaned back, resting gently on his pillows and staring at the dull scenery in front of him. Seconds later, he was sound asleep.

* * *

Alex started as a ringtone sounded on the table right beside his head. He stared at the object, now onto its second ring, before realizing that it was his phone. He reached for it, but just as his fingers brushed the display screen, it fell silent. Alex cursed, but decided to pick it up anyways. After all, he could always call them back.

He didn't have to. A second later, it rang again, except this time all he got was a low vibrating and one, two, three flashes of light. The sign of an incoming text. Alex flipped open the screen.

The ID read: _Tom_. Alex shook his head, already beginning to regret it, but pressed the OK button to open the message. No doubt his best friend was asking if he was okay. Alex glanced at the clock as the text loaded and smiled to himself. Scratch that. It was Tom asking if he was okay in the _middle of class_. He could only hope that Tom was at least hiding the phone under a desk.

The screen changed, alerting Alex to the open message. He glanced at the screen, bracing himself for the onslaught of questions and demands that would no doubt fill the screen. But instead, much to his surprise, there was only a single word. Alex squinted at the four letters lighting up the screen, his vision suddenly going blurry for a second. That moment passed immediately, and it was then could the word register in his mind. Audibly, he felt his heart rate speed up as the meaning of the text slowly settled. He reread the word over and over, testing if he'd somehow seen it wrong.

He hadn't. Clear as day, Alex could read the word on the screen.

'_Help'_

His finger automatically skipped to the green call key and he pressed and brought the phone to his ear in one fluid motion, wincing slightly as the sudden dial tone reverberated in his mind and scratched at his headache. It rang once, and immediately cut off, leaving a chipper answering machine on the other line telling him to call back and leave his name, the time, and his phone number in the message. His heart pounding, Alex pressed the red _End _button.

The corner of his mind quietly suggested that this could be just some bad prank his friend cooked up, but he dismissed it instantly. Tom knew where Alex was, and there was no way he'd purposely make his friend freak out when he was in the hospital recovering. Alex smiled humorlessly as he remembered the text he'd sent his friend minutes after he'd woken up after Jack left. _'In the hospital…again.'_ he'd written. _'Run over by a car.'_ It's wasn't so funny now.

He tried again, this time having the sense to keep the phone further from his ear, as his head was already beginning to feel like it was unpeeling from the inside. To his relief, the call was immediately answered. But it wasn't Tom's voice that greeted him. In fact, nobody was talking to _him_ at all.

'_Let me say this one more time, folks.' _The voice was in the background, not addressing him, but whoever was in front of the phone. Instantly, Alex knew from the tone that it wasn't a teacher. _'You keep quiet, we take what we want, and nobody gets hurt.'_

Tom's voice responded, much closer than the other person's, and in a lighthearted tone commented, _'I've heard of banks being robbed, but this is the first time I've seen a school being held up. Much less be in one.'_

A growl. _'Shut it, kid.'_

The next moment, the call ended with a crunch, leaving Alex holding a silent phone in his hand, his mind whirling with questions as his mouth hung open in shock.

A second later, Alex made up his mind. He glanced up at the door, searching for any incoming nurses or doctors before immediately slipping out of bed, wincing as his legs erupted in an explosion of pins and needles. Screw what Dr. Rallen said about his insides falling to mush. He wasn't going to wait another minute. His friend was in trouble, and the least Alex could try was to go and help him out.

The rational part of his mind tried to reason with him, telling him that he may as well try and call the police first before it got out of hand. Alex hesitated for a moment before glancing at his phone. His fingers hovered over the keys, preparing to type 999 before it suddenly vibrated, a large sign immediately filling the middle of the screen.

_No Signal_

Alex swore. Jack had said that he had the luck of the devil, but even the luck didn't come without its downsides. It usually turned into more of an all-or-nothing kind of deal. One minute he was dodging arrows and escaping traps. Next minute he gets run over by a car. It gave new meaning to the phrase '_Of all the rotten luck_.'

On the way to the bathroom to find a change of clothes, another thought stopped him. Here he was, going off to find trouble again, when any other normal person would simply stay in bed, and hope for the best. Alex frowned, already halfway to the door. Didn't he want a normal life? To finally escape MI6 and bullets and running and running and running…? He had already caught up to his schoolwork; why not just keep it that way? He turned back around to stare at the hospital phone. Perhaps he could try calling the police through the front desk. Then Tom and his classmate would be fine and he would be safe and sound, back to being a normal kid.

Alex sighed, and then immediately started back toward his bed. The world could wait.

Except the world was an impatient being. It didn't like to be kept waiting. It even managed to define that fact seconds later, because, sure enough, the gunshots in the hallway changed everything.

**I'm NOT trying to gain everyone's attention by inserting some randomly insane cliffhanger in the end that only a couple of people will even catch in their first read. I actually had a plan for what happens…I just don't have to ability to type it out. **_**Yet.**_

**Just…hold on tight. I've already made you all wait long enough, and it makes me feel even worse to say you're gonna have to wait some more for a decent explanation to why there are gunshots in the hospital! I'm sorry! **

**Anyways, review! Please! **


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